Two weeks ago, I was invited to participate in the Founder's Day Celebrations of Peevees Public School at Nilambur, near Calicut in Kerala. I took that opportunity to go and look up my friend Brig PT Gangadharan who lives in Calicut and has been sending some very lovely pictures and quips which I have been forwarding them to my friends.
What I saw there, touched my heart. Gangadharan was commissioned in the Brigade of the Guards in 1971 and when he was commanding a Brigade in the valley, he was shot at by insurgents in Mar 2000. In the gun battle which ensued, he slipped and fell into a deep ravine. The fall damaged his spine and he is now paralyzed below his chest. Despite his near total disability, he is neither bitter nor helpless. He has learnt to use the computer and keeps himself occupied, picking up some of the nicest pieces from the Internet. With literally no support from any one, he sends his selection to more than 300 friends. The list is growing.
As one sits with him and his wife, one is filled with admiration for the indomitable spirit of this brave soldier. His motto in life is
"NEVER LOOK DOWN ON ANY ONE EXCEPT TO HELP HIM"
Wishing you all the very best for the New Year!
Maj Gen Surjit Singh
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Brig Ganga writes
1. Thank you for placing my details in Signals blog.
2. It is kind of Gen Surjit to have taken the pains to visit me at Calicut and thereafter sending the letter. I am not a hero as you say but an ordinary soldier. There is a little factual error in the case. I was commanding a Brigade on the LoC and therefore the firing was from across the border, in the form of speculative fire, prevalent in border locations. My injury is as result of a fall for over 200 meters.
3. Thank you once again for placing my details in the Signal blog.
With best wishes and regards,
PT Gangadharan
Brig (Retd)
Date: 01 Jan 2008
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